Nut-lock.



PATENTED APR. 14, 1903. GRIFFITH.

T LOCK.

FILED 001215, 1902.

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RI-IA P. GRIFFITH, OF TALLMAN, MICHIGAN.

NUT-=LOCK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 725,245, dated April14, 1903. Application filed October 15, 1902. Serial No 127,422. Nomodel.)

To all whom, it nuty concern:

Be it known that I, RHA P. GRIFFITH, acitizen of the United States,residing at Tallman, in the county of Mason and State of Michigan, haveinvented a new and useful Nut-Lock, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to devices employed for the purpose of preventingnuts turning backward from bolts, and may be applied in any localityrequiring such devices, but is more particularly applicable torailway-rail joints.

The object of the invention is the production of a simple device whichmay be applied externally to the nut without altering the shape of thenut or otherwise modifying it and which will effectually lock the nut inposition upon its bolt, so that it will not be loosened by anyjarrin'gor concussion to which the bolt will be subjected; and the inventionconsists in a wedge-key, smaller at one end than the other, preferablywith the edges thereof tapered toward one end and bifurcatedlongitudinally, said bifurcation being formed transversely of thesmaller ,end, said key being adapted to be inserted between the nut anda fixed support, with one leg of said bifurcated end projecting beyondthe nut and forming an extended base to the wedge-key and the other legthereof extended into engagement with the nut.

The invention further consists in a clampplate through which the boltsare passed transversely, the clamp-plate being provided with alongitudinal groove adjacent to the nuts, forming a support for saidwedge-shaped locking-keys, said key engaging said longitudinal groove,with one of the legs of the bifurcated end projecting beyond said nutand held from lateral movement by said groove, and the other leg of saidbifurcated end bent into engagement with said nut, the whole forming asimply-constructed and easily-applied nut-holding means.

Other novel features of the invention will appear in the annexeddescription and be specified in the claims.

In the drawings illustrative of the invention, Figure l is a side Viewof a railway-rail joint with the invention applied. Fig. 2 is atransverse section on the line II II of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a perspectiveview of one of the ill Wedge-keys detached, showing it in the form inwhich it is put on the market ready for application.

The invention may be applied to any of the various forms of nut whichare irregular in outlinesuch assquare, hexagonal, orother irregularshape-and which may beapplied upon any of the various structures inwhich nuts are employed and which require the nuts to be locked fromreverse movement; but as the invention is more particularlyapplicable torailway-rail joints it is shown in the drawings, for the purpose ofillustration, applied to an ordinary railway-rail joint, 10 11representing the adjacent ends of two rails, 12 13 the fish-plates uponopposite sides of the vertical webs, 14 the transverse tie-bolts, and 15the nuts, all these parts being of the usual construction with theexception of one of the fish-plates, (here shown as the plate 12,) whichis provided with a longitudinal channel or groove 16, formed therein ata point below the openings through which the bolts 14: pass andextending throughout the whole length of the plate, as indicated bydotted lines in Fig. l, the nuts 15, carried on the ends of the bolts14, being disposed above and spaced from said groove 16.

The locking means consists in a wedgeshaped key-plate 17, bifurcatedtransversely at its narrow end, the two legs formed by the bifurcationbeing indicated at 18 19, respec tively. The key-plate 17 is adapted tobe inserted longitudinally by one edge in the groove 16, with its otheredge in engagement with the nut 15, as shown in Fig. 1, this positionplacing the end 18 in advance of the nut on one side, as shown, andthereby forming an extended base to the wedge-key for a considerabledistance to one side of the nut. The other leg, 19, is adapted to bebent into engagement with the nut, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, to firmlyengagethe key-plate with the nut and clamp plate and effectually lockthe nut in place upon its bolt and pre- Vent any reverse movementthereto. The member 19 may be bent very tightly into engagement with thenot by any suitable implement, such as specially-constructed pincers orwrench; but as the implement employed for the purpose of bending the leg19 is no part of the present invention it is not illustrated. The leg 19will be sufliciently yieldable to readily adapt itself to the outlinesof the nut, but which will be sufficiently rigid when thus bent to shapeto effectually resist any reverse movement of the nut. By this simplemeans a very efficient and secure looking means is provided, which isvery easily applied and adaptable to any of the ordinary forms of nut,but, as before stated, will be found especially applicable and valuablefor the purpose of locking the nuts employed in connectionwithrailway-rail joints.

The leg 18 of the wedge-key, by which the base of the wedge-key isextended for a comparatively long distance beyond the nut, is a valuablefeature of the invention and adds materially to the efficiency andincreases the security of the device, as it very effectually prevents,in coaction with the bent-up leg 19,

any tendency of backward movement of the nut rolling the wedge-key frombeneath the nut, as it would be liable to do if the extended base-leg 18were not present.

The wedge keys may be inserted from either side, as is obvious, and maybe manufactured and furnished very cheaply, as they can be struck upfrom sheet metal at one stroke of a punching-machine provided with asuitable die.

The wedge-key plate 17 may be made of any size and thickness to adapt itto nuts of various sizes and employed in various structures, andI donot, therefore, wish to be limited to any particular size of wedge-keyor to one embracing any specific relative proportions.

Having thus described the invention, What is claimed is 1. A nut-lockcomprising a bolt, a nut upon said bolt, supporting means adjacent tothe nut and a wedge-shaped key having a longitudinal kerf at its narrowend, said key being inserted between the supporting means and the edgeof the nut, one member of the divided end of the wedge extending underthe nut and forming a supporting-base and the other member of saiddivided end bent into contact with the edge of the nut.

2. A nut-lock comprising a bolt, a nut upon said bolt, supporting meansadjacent to said nut, said supporting means being provided with alongitudinal groove, and a wedgeshaped key having a longitudinal kerf atits narrow end, said key being inserted into the groove of thesupporting means engaging the edge of the nut, one member of the dividedend of the wedge extending under the nut and forming a supporting-baseand the other member of said divided end bent into contact with the edgeof the nut.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

RHA P. GRIFFITH.

Witnesses: H. G. REEK, E. N. FITCH.

